December 23, 2013

Secular humanists are bringing good wishes for the New Year to Times Square, showing that the love and joy of the season can be fully experienced without religion. A major electronic billboard advertisement from the Center for Inquiry (CFI), an international secular advocacy organization, will go live this week in Times Square where it will be visible to millions, and will run through the end of the year.

The simple 15-second ad opens with the statement, “Millions express joy & goodwill without religion.” It signs off with, “Wishing you peace & enlightenment in the New Year.” It is the final ad of CFI’s Living without Religion campaign, which seeks to introduce those who question religion to a vibrant and welcoming community of secular humanists, and to dispel negative stereotypes of nonbelievers.

The first ad in the series introduced the campaign with the message, “Millions of Americans are living happily without religion,” and asked viewers to visit the campaign website (http://LivingWithoutReligion.org), which offers inspiring insight from real nonreligious Americans who find hope and purpose through the values of secular humanism. The second ad, themed for Thanksgiving, expressed gratitude for those “who make the world a better place.”

“Our wish for peace and enlightenment, and for joy and goodwill, doesn’t require any religious belief, nor is it reserved for any one ‘holy’ day,” said Ronald Lindsay, president and CEO of CFI. “The season’s warmth and fellow-feeling are things we try to foster year-round, for believers and nonbelievers alike. So let’s all resolve to light the New Year with reason and compassion, to make a happy 2014 for everyone.”

The ad can be seen on West 42nd street between 7th and 8th Ave., on the north side above the Cold Stone Creamery and beneath the CBS logo. It is co-sponsored by local freethought organization Reasonable New York.

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The Center for Inquiry (CFI) is a nonprofit educational, advocacy, and research organization headquartered in Amherst, New York, with executive offices in Washington, D.C. It is also home to both the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Council for Secular Humanism. The mission of CFI is to foster a secular society based on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values. CFI‘s web address is www.centerforinquiry.net.